


Subject #127d

by Alley_Walk (AlleyWalk_writes)



Series: Twist of the Knife [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angelic & Demonic Hosts, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Child Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Human Experimentation, Injury, Kid Fic, Trans Allen Walker, Wingfic, allies in a shitty situation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21592375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyWalk_writes/pseuds/Alley_Walk
Summary: Two CROW stride into the room, and Allen, Lavi, and Kanda tense. “They’re just here to help,” Komui says uneasily, “you might hurt yourselves or each other once the Curse is activated, so they’re only here to-”“To bind us? Fuck no!” Kanda yells.“I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter. Bind them.” Link orders. The CROW obey, spell tags encircling Lavi and Kanda, binding with a bright crackle of light, bringing them to their knees. Link eyes Komui as if he might a bug and says, “Well? Start the experiment,Dr.Komui.”“Yes, of course.”As Komui opens his inhibitor with an audible click, removing the smooth metal carefully from around his neck, Allen reminds himself that Komui's not in charge here. As the beast slumbering behind his left eye stirs, familiar pain burning its way through his scar and eating through his eye like molten flame, he thinks,it’s not Komui’s fault.And as his black and red eye fixes on the two Demonaire in the room, the rage roaring to life inside him, pure demonic power flooding through his veins as he struggles against the chains, screeching his fury, somewhere deep inside him something is screaming, begging,please, don’t hurt Komui.
Relationships: Kanda Yuu & Allen Walker & Lavi Bookman, Komui Lee & Allen Walker
Series: Twist of the Knife [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555453
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> Got a new one-shot for ya!
> 
> This first one is mostly fluff, but I'm thinking this might be a three-shot, maybe a four-shot, idk. I've got some ideas for it, so... we'll see. *shrug*
> 
> Also, I got to thinking that people might be wondering about the kids' ages in this 'verse. They're all the same age, just to make things easier on me. ^^; Their birthdays make things harder, but, well.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! ^^
> 
> Edit: Also, I forgot to mention, to anyone reading this before the first one-shot in the series, I would suggest reading the first one-shot in the series before continuing, as things will make a bit more sense worldbuilding-wise that way.
> 
> Also edited this one worldbuilding bit that I goofed up on. Honestly. It's my own fic!
> 
> Anyway, see y'all at the bottom! ^^

Komui Lee looks down at the file on the desk before him, trying to ignore the sickness in his stomach at what he’s about to do. He’d thought that the sickness, the hatred and self-disgust would get better over time as he got used to his task. 

But it had only worsened as time went on, and now he was too trapped in what he was doing, too wrapped up in his goals, to back out.

Rubbing at an oncoming migraine, Komui looks scans over the file before him once again, committing, remembering, never forgetting.

_Subject #127d_

_Name: Allen Walker_

_DOB: Unknown_

_Age: Indeterminate_

_Gender:_ ~~_Female_ ~~ then, scribbled in Komui’s handwriting, _Male_

_Parasite Species: Demon_

_Subject #127d at first exhibited powers of destruction and incredible speed. This would not be especially exceptional if it were not for the Curse Mark on the Subject’s face which amplifies all other Demonic power in a 40 meter radius to him. Numerous samples have been taken of the Curse Mark’s magical signature, however tests of how to control the radius have been inconclusive and has been passed off to Dr. Komui Lee for further testing..._

Komui shakes his head. He was getting exactly nowhere with his research, and he has no one but himself to blame. He’s just not willing to go as far as the other scientists are in search of the truth, no matter how much he needs to.

But this is a child.

Eight or nine years old, by Komui’s estimate.

Lenalee’s age.

Lenalee was the whole reason he was doing this in the first place. If he couldn’t help one little boy then who was to say that Lenalee wasn’t going through the same thing he was?

With a sigh, Komui stands up from his desk, wincing at the crick in his neck as he strides out of his office and into a room that might as well be Hell on Earth.

Counters line the walls with surgical tools organized on the countertops, boxes of latex gloves standing at the ready with various drawers and cupboards holding syringes as well as dubious liquids of mysterious origin. The walls are painted a depressing beige color, the white tiled floors smelling heavily of bleach. In the middle of the room is a chair. Or The Chair, as Komui refers to it in the privacy of his own mind. The Chair is reclined completely vertical, and laying in the chair is a small child with white hair and grey-blue eyes wearing a hospital gown and scrub pants, his arms, legs and chest strapped down to the chair with his wings bound and his tail strapped down. There’s a specially made paralytic that he had been gassed with prior to being brought into the room, but despite this hazy blue-grey eyes follow Komui as he enters the room.

Taking a phial filled with golden liquid, Komui washes his hands and pulls on a pair of latex gloves, carefully drawing a portion of the liquid into a syringe. Allen watches him warily, and Komui notes the slowly healing broken nose and split lip, blood dotting his hospital gown. “Allen, this is just the antidote to the paralysis that the CROW put you under.” Komui says softly. 

Allen’s hazy gaze relaxes slightly, and Komui wipes at Allen’s inner elbow with an alcohol wipe, inserting the needle and slowly depressing the plunger. After putting a bandaid over the area he begins the long process of unstrapping Allen from The Chair, first his arms, chest, and then his legs. Allen’s regained some feeling by then, and he sits up with an almost imperceptible wince, and Komui gets to unbinding his wings from his back, Allen letting out a sigh of relief when he’s done, shaking and stretching them out with a wince. He’s unbound his own tail so with a swing of his legs Allen jumps free of the chair, stretching his arms over his head with his tail curling out behind him, his dark wings fully spread.

He turns to Komui with a grateful smile, though his eyes are wary. “Thank you,” he says quietly.

Komui smiles. “It’s the least I can do,” he says sadly. Brightening his smile, he says, “now let me take a look at those wounds, okay?”

Allen nods. “Alright.” 

Taking out some gauze and a surgical sponge, Komui sops up the blood from Allen’s broken nose and split lip with the gauze, using the surgical sponge to clean and disinfect the rest. He resets Allen’s nose even though the boy insists he doesn’t need him to, and then puts a cast over it, again with protests. He finishes off with the rest of Allen’s wounds, knowing that they’ll be healed by the time he’s scheduled to leave but not being able to help himself anyway.

“Are you happy with your unnecessary ministrations now?” Allen snarks with his arms crossed over his chest.

Komui smiles. “One last thing.”

Going into his office, he comes back out with a veritable horde of homemade cheeseburgers, still steaming from the heating charm Komui had cast on them. He puts the tray down and Allen digs in without question. The boy had learned to take Komui’s offers of food, as he was concerningly thin as it was. Komui knew that they probably weren’t feeding the boy enough to fit a Demonaire’s metabolism, which was why he was feeding the boy in the first place.

Allen is done eating in record time. He looks at Komui with wariness in his eyes and asks, “what do you need from me?”

Shame and guilt wrack Komui, and he swallows around the lump in his throat to say, “just some hair. And maybe a feather if you’d be willing?”

Allen nods, and the deed is done.

Komui tests the locks of hair and the feather with different spells for hours, mixing them with pieces of Allen’s Curse Signature to see if maybe a sacrifice of the body was what was needed. He hadn’t wanted to come to that conclusion, but frankly, he was running out of ideas. Willpower spells didn’t seem to work, and neither did spells that affected emotions. Anything else that he’d tried had also failed.

It was in the early hours of the morning that his thoughts turned to Lenalee. Was she safe, wherever she was? Surely not. But warm, and comfortable at least? Does she have friends? Someone to look to for support?

If she didn’t… 

Komui could change that.

Right?

Komui is startled when a small hand slips into his. Allen meets his eyes steadily, his gaze steely with determination. “We’ll find her, Komui.”

Komui smiles, his resolve hardening. “Yes. We will.”


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leverrier appears with all the sunshine and goodness that he brings, new friends are made, and the experimentations are brought to a whole new level of Fucked Up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> I'm pretty pleased with this one, it's become my favorite in this fic so far.
> 
> No warnings except for what's already on the tin!
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

The two CROW send spell tags his way, one set of tags flanking him on the side of his bad eye while the other circles around his back. Allen breathes in, breathes out, and like a raindrop in a calm pool of water, everything slows down around him. Allen can see all of the CROW’s minute’s expressions, from their wary stance to the way they’re about to bring up their tags to form a shield.

Allen doesn’t let them.

For the briefest of seconds, everything stops. Completely motionless, all except for Allen. In this span of time Allen brings his tail forward and spins in the air as he slaps the CROW with the full force of his tail. Using this momentum to his advantage Allen wings into the air, dive bombing onto the other CROW just as things start up again.

The other CROW brings up a shield made of spell tags lightning quick, more spell tags circling Allen from the sides. 

But Allen doesn’t evade. 

He goes right through.

Holding out his hands as they touch upon the shield, magic crackles along his skin as the spell tags errode and fade, turning to dust beneath his palms. Clapping his wings to his back he dives through, bowling over the startled CROW and landing on top of them. Grabbing both of their arms, he’s about to wrench them both out of their sockets when the CROW slips through his grasp. Allen jumps to the side, but there’s no attack.

The CROW are retreating, doors opening up in the otherwise smooth walls while grey gas seeps into the room through the air vents above. Allen panics, winging into the air and flying for one of the doors as fast as he can. The doors shut before he can ever reach them, and he takes to the air, flying higher and higher until he reaches the air vents. Covering up his face with his shirt he grabs hold of the metal and  _ corrodes _ . But he’s holding his breath and coughing, and he can’t get enough air, and inside him a demon is howling  _ those fuckers howdaretheyhowdaretheyIhopetheyrotin _ **_heaven_ ** _ those-! _

Allen falls unconscious.

When he wakes up, it’s to hear voices above him. He recognizes Komui’s voice, and usually that would make him relax a bit, but the second voice sends shivers of fear down his spine. He clenches his eyes tightly shut and listens carefully, his sharp ears able to pick up the distinctive sound of distress in Komui’s voice.

“But I put an inhibitor on him, sir. He should no longer be a danger to anyone now that it puts a limit on his powers.”

And hadn’t that been a relief in and of itself. With his Curse Mark out of control his powers had been so out of whack that he could barely use them, let alone fight with them. Now, at ten and nine months old, he was just starting to get a handle on his powers.

Whatever they were. 

“Yes, and what a most effective tool he will make with his most useful ability disabled.” Leverrier says in a dry voice. 

Allen would have bared his teeth if he could. 

As it was he was stuck under paralysis and it was probably better if Leverrier didn’t know that he could hear their conversation, anyway.

“Then what would you suggest?” Komui asks, a bit frostily. Allen wishes he could take his hand and tell him to calm down.

It’s not worth it.

Not with Komui’s sister at stake.

“Oh, nothing much. Just some tests in a controlled setting with a couple of other Demonaire Hosts to see if he can properly control his Curse Mark.” Leverrier says soothingly.

Allen can practically see Komui crossing his arms. “And if he can’t?”

“You’d best hope he can,” Leverrier says, his voice smooth and deadly, with poison laced behind every word, “after all, you wouldn’t want him, or  _ her _ , to have an accident out in the field, now would you?”

Komui’s breath caught, and Allen knows that what Leverrier is really saying is,  _ you are just a lowly scientist and I can make your little sister disappear at any time, and at any place that I want to. _

“No, of course not.” Komui says, his voice stiff.

They go over the specifics, which room it will be held in and which Hosts will be used in the process, and soon Leverrier is out the door, his small orderly following out behind him.

Komui is silent through the process of releasing Allen of the paralysis, but he pauses to squeeze his hand in his, and it means,  _ I’m sorry _ , and  _ I wish I could do better _ .

When Allen has enough feeling in his hands he reaches back, and this means,  _ it’s alright _ , and  _ I understand.  _

Komui smiles at him, but the look in his eyes says,  _ you shouldn’t have to. _

* * *

Allen breathes through the bag over his head, the inside of the bag smelling heavily of garlic, making him constantly want to sneeze, not to mention his eyes. The aura restraints around his wrists and ankles are a constant drain on his energy, Neah grumbling weak complaints in the back of his mind. 

Two CROW drag him through the halls, the hallways twisting and turning like a labyrinth, confusing his senses further. He strains his mind, trying to remember if this route was in any way familiar, but it’s all just a jumbled up mess inside his head. The overwhelming smell of garlic is too strong, the sensation of rough cloth touching his face too stifling. He can’t see, he can’t breathe, his ears are ringing and it feels like he’s going to scream.

They stop and the bag is yanked off of his head, Allen gulping in the cold, clear air that he’s been given. He looks around with awe. The hallway they were in looked to be the walls of an actual building rather than the underground caverns that he was used to, Komui’s Hellspace aside. There’s an open door that he’s facing that has boring grey walls and floors.

With a heave the two CROW throw him into the room, Allen sprawling out onto the floor with a squawk like some sort of demented panda. With as much energy as the restraints will allow him, Allen turns and spits at their feet, baring his teeth at them in a snarl. The CROW slam the door in his face, and Allen yells at their backs as they turn to guard the door, “thank you for your patronage!”

Allen hears a snort from behind him, and drags himself over on his stomach to see a boy with long dark hair and cobalt blue eyes along with a redhead with emerald green eyes sitting up against opposite walls looking at him with amusement.

They’re both Demonaires, both with the signature dark wings and whip-like tail, nothing like Allen’s wings and tail. Allen’s wings are black on the outside and grey on the inside, with blood red flight feathers and white secondaries, his tail painted with red, grey and white. Allen has a bad feeling about what they’re all here for.

“Do you know why we’re here?” Allen asks quietly.

“Who cares? There’s a different excuse every week.” the dark haired Demonaire answers acerbically.

“No idea, really,” the redhead answers, shifting and stretching his wings out a little. His eyes light up with interest. “Why? Do you know why we’re here?”

Allen nods. “Yes.” Scrabbling forward, he pulls himself into a sitting position against the wall that the dark haired Demonaire is leaning against. “I… have a certain power. It lets me amplify Demonic energy. But I can’t control it, and when your power is amplified…”

“So is your aggression.” The redhead says with a nod.

“That’s where we come in.” The dark haired Demonaire says, and it’s not a question so much as a statement of the obvious.

Allen nods, looking down. There doesn’t seem to be much else to say.

“Oi, beansprout,” the dark haired Demonaire says, and Allen blinks. Is he… addressing him?

And was that a shot at his height?

Allen glares, and the inhibitor around his neck glows a faint warning. “What?” He snaps.

“What’s your name?”

The redheaded Demonaire perks up out of his thoughts, saying, “oh, yeah! My name’s Lavi, and this guy over here is called Yuu!”

“ _ Kanda _ Yuu.” Kanda snarls, and leaps forward only to land like a beached walrus because of the aura restraints. 

Allen laughs and Kanda shoots him a glare that promises revenge. Allen smirks at him challengingly and says, “Allen Walker.”

Lavi shoots him a grin. “Well Allen, it’s nice to meet’cha.”

They get down to business after that, Komui coming in with Leverrier’s blond orderly in tow, a notepad and pen held in his hands. If the guy wasn’t like, fourteen, he might actually make an imposing figure. As it was, it just sort of looked like he was trying too hard in a world filled with adults.

The two start by unlocking the two aura restraints from their legs, Komui explaining that they need some magic in their systems otherwise the effect of Allen’s curse would likely be muted, hence why they still kept half of the aura restraints on in order to limit the effects caused.

The blond orderly frowns, his brown eyes flicking to Komui before he scrawls something down in his notebook.

Allen resists the urge to frown.

And then, from a couple briefcases that Komui had set down on the desk that stood in the corner, the two humans take out manacles and chains, the chains inlaid with rune after rune on their metallic surfaces. Allen, concerned, gets to his feet and takes a few wobbly steps closer to Lavi and Kanda. 

It’s not that he doesn’t trust Komui. He does. Mostly. But Komui has a sister to save, and Allen knows that he’s already done plenty of amoral things to reach his goal. The only thing that had stopped him from carving Allen up like he was a roast turkey was because of his age, and even that hadn’t stopped him from experimenting on him. 

They were each other’s support. Each other’s allies. But that didn’t mean it had to extend to complete trust.

“Now you’re going all medieval on me,” Lavi jokes as Komui carefully clasps the manacles in place around his wrists, the chains drilling into the wall behind him until they’re pulled taut.

“Is anything too tight?” Komui asks. “I put a cushioning spell on the insides of the cuffs, but I couldn’t be too liberal with it unfortunately.”

Lavi blinks, and it’s like he’s looking at Komui for the first time. He smiles, and this time, it seems a bit more real than before. “It’s fine. Pretty comfy, for a pair of handcuffs.”

Komui graces him with a smile. “I would hope so, with how hard I worked to get them that way.” He teases, reaching out to ruffle Lavi’s hair before moving on to Kanda. He doesn’t notice the blond orderly’s keen eyes watching him as he scribbles yet another note onto his notepad.

“Hey,” Allen says, as Komui goes over to Kanda who’s looking at him like he’s grown three heads, “hey, blond guy.”

The blond twitches at Allen’s address, evidently trying to ignore him as he watches Komui like a hawk, but he eventually says stiffly, “my name is Howard Link and you will address me as so, Demonaire.”

Oh, that type. The type of human who thought they were above Hosts just for “being able” to resist the call of the supernatural. But Allen had never sought out Neah. Neah had found him, when he was at his weakest and most helpless, had reached out and said,  _ Let me help you. _

Allen hadn’t known it was a trick at the time, and most likely no one else who had fallen for it did either. 

Allen smiles politely. “Alright, Howard.”

Link winces at the name, gritting his teeth slightly, though he must feel like he can’t protest because of the politeness in Allen’s tone. Allen smiles inwardly.

“So,  _ Howard _ , do you know what the difference is between a flock of ravens and a flock of crows?”

Link looks back at him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “No, I’m afraid not.”

“A flock of crows is called a murder.” Allen says with a smile, and something in Link’s expression darkens. “Of course, a flock of ravens is either called an unkindness or a conspiracy, so I’m not quite sure which one is better.” He smiles sharply at Link, fangs glinting in the Witchlights overhead.

“It’s your turn, Allen!” Komui says brightly, in a tone that says he’d heard most of the conversation and that they would be talking about this later. Link watches in satisfaction as Allen is manacled and chained to the wall, Allen glaring daggers in his direction. Komui squeezes his hand in reassurance, and Allen smiles at him. He doesn’t even have to strain his ears to hear Link jotting something down on his notepad. 

Then two CROW stride into the room, hands held into ready positions. All three Demonaires tense, Allen’s heartbeat thrumming in his ears. “They’re just here to help,” Komui says, though he sounds uneasy, “you might hurt yourselves or each other once the Curse is activated, so they’re only here to-”

“To bind us? Fuck no!” Kanda shouts.

Komui looks like he’s about to say something, but Link interrupts him by saying, “I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter. Bind them.” He orders. The CROW move to obey despite Komui’s protests, their spell tags encircling Lavi and Kanda and binding with a bright crackle of light, bringing each of them down to their knees. Link eyes Komui as if he might a bug and says, “Well? Start the experiment,  _ Dr. _ Komui.” 

Komui’s face is stiff, his eyes hard. “Yes, of course.” 

He meets Allen’s eyes with the span of an apology passed between them. Komui wanted to do this differently, Allen can tell. He wanted to do this with ease, with talking and laughter and Allen making new friends.

But this isn’t Komui’s game.

So as Komui opens his inhibitor with an audible click, removing the smooth metal carefully from around his neck, Allen reminds himself that this isn’t Komui’s game. As the beast slumbering behind his left eye stirs, familiar pain burning its way through his scar and eating through his eye like molten flame, he thinks, _ it’s not Komui’s fault. _ And as his black and red eye fixes on the two Demonaire in the room, the rage roaring to life inside him, pure demonic power flooding through his veins as he struggles against the chains, screeching his fury, somewhere deep inside him something is begging, screaming,  _ please, don’t hurt Komui. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos?
> 
> Comments?
> 
> Make sure to leave them all below! ^^


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the experiment is revealed, Allen finds out a dangerous truth, and 19th century texting is introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> Not really happy with this one, as it was mostly set up for things in next chapter, and it ran a little long so I had to cut it before I wanted to.
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> No Trigger Warnings except for some blood and gore, which I will be adding to the tags.
> 
> See you at the bottom! ^_^

Allen’s mind pieces itself back together in fragments. He becomes aware of the cool stone beneath him, the feeling of a thousand pins and needles stabbing through his body over and over. The reassuring circlet of metal around his neck and the rattling of the chains as he shifts his arms, the manacles cold around his wrists. He opens his eyes to find himself curled up on the floor, CROW spell tags in a circumference all around him, his fingers and unsheathed claws sticky with drying blood. He absently wonders if the blood is Komui’s. Something about the thought distresses him immensely. He peers past the gaps between the spell tags to see Kanda sprawled out on the floor a few feet away, his arms and legs bloody and his wings shredded, with one of them bent at an awkward angle. Did he escape the spell tags?

And then Allen sees the slashes across his face and the blood pooling on the floor underneath him, and bile rises in the back of his throat. The blood smells so good, too. So sweet. The mix of hunger and nausea make his stomach churn, and he has to just breathe for a moment so he doesn’t throw up. 

Supporting himself on one arm with the seals weighing heavily on his body, Allen reaches up and touches his inhibitor, reassured by the smooth metal. He clears his throat, finding it rough and raw. “Are you alright?” When there’s no response, “Kanda?”

“Fucking hell, beansprout.” Kanda says, his voice hoarse from screaming.

“Yeah, give a guy a little warning next time, will ya?” Lavi asks from somewhere to the far left. 

Allen twists his head to look at Lavi only to blink as blood starts pouring into his eyes. He scowls and wipes it away, wincing slightly as he touches upon a slash wound on his brow. Now that he’s noticed, there’s a throbbing pain along his tail, and the back of his ankle hurts like nobody’s business. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly, guilt sitting heavily in his gut. Lavi seems mostly alright, at least. There’s some blood and torn out feathers from where he’d struggled against his restraints, but it seemed he hadn’t been nearly as violent as Allen and Kanda had.

“I’ve called the medics,” Komui says, leaning down on one knee to look through the opening where Allen lay encased in the spell tags. “They should be here soon.” He says, his eyes softening considerably. He reaches for Allen only for magic to crackle to life, his hand stopping as if impeded by some invisible barrier. Wiping the blood out of his eyes once again, Allen reaches a heavy hand to touch the barrier, yanking his hand back with a yelp when a shock runs through him, hundreds of pins and needles prickling into the skin of his hand.

Komui frowns, concerned.

“You okay, ‘sprout?” Lavi asks, mouth pinched in a thin line.

“The name is  _ Allen _ .”

Kanda looks over at him and slowly smirks. Were the scratch marks on his face already fading? “Beansprout suits you better.” He says with a smirk.

“Well the name Kanda suits you worse,  _ Yuu _ .” Allen says with a devilish smile.

Kanda scoffs. “Call me whatever the fuck you want. I don’t give a shit.”

Lavi makes a noise that sounds like a cat being murdered by a trumpet, and Allen says, “alright,  _ Yuu _ .”

Lavi starts yelling about, “why does  _ he _ get first name privileges?!”

“Because he’s less annoying than you.”

Komui’s lips quirk up in an amused smile, and then he says to Link, “are the CROW tags really necessary anymore? With the inhibitor back on they’re no longer a danger to us or themselves.”

“Maybe not an immediate danger,” Link answers, “but their bloodlust may still be high. Better to keep them penned in until the medics arrive with some sedatives, for all our sakes.” 

Komui didn’t look like he agreed, about the solution or the bloodlust.

The “bloodlust” was true enough, though it was more about unnatural amounts of aggression and human flesh smelling edible when it really shouldn’t, but around here you either learned to harness that aggression or control it fast. 

A useless tool wasn’t worth keeping.

Someone knocked on the door and Link went and unlocked it, letting in several medics along with the Head Nurse. Head Nurse’s face becomes grim at the scene before her and she quickly orders the medics to get them safely onto the gurneys, “and I don’t want to hear about anything more than a half dose of sedatives! We need them coherent so they can talk about their injuries, not asleep in a wheelchair!”

Allen soon finds himself sitting on a cot in the hospital ward, being checked over by a rather impersonal medic who nevertheless cleans and bandages his scratched tail and brow, wrapping up his ankle with an order from Head Nurse not to even try to walk on it for a good six to seven hours–Kanda had hamstrung him, the bastard. 

Not that Allen hadn’t gave as good as he got.

After the medic leaves, Allen rolls over to lie on his stomach and pulls the covers over himself, careful of his wings. He’s feeling slightly sleepy from the sedatives, and with all of the medics’ attention off of his person he feels like he can relax slightly. Snuggling down into the covers, he closes his eyes.

Allen startles at the feeling of something poking against his cheek. Opening his eyes, he eyes the finger poised in front of his face, and asks quietly, “Lavi, what are you doing?”

Lavi smiles hopefully. “Sleepover?”

Allen hesitates. Then he smiles. “Alright.”

Lavi grins, vibrating like an excited puppy as he flops over into the cot across from Allen, the bed springs creaking a bit beneath his weight. They both grin conspiratorially at each other. 

“To be honest, I’ve never had a sleepover before,” Allen confesses.

Lavi grins, his green eyes glowing in the darkness. “That’s okay, ‘sprout! I’m pretty sure none of us had any sleepovers ‘fore we came to the Order either. Except for Yuu and Alma, and they don’t count ‘cause they’re siblings.” Lavi says, sticking his tongue out rudely.

Allen laughs. “So you mentioned Kanda’s sibling. Who are the others?”

Lavi grins, cupping his hand over the side of his mouth with his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Well it’s a small group. Very exclusive. And the only one left to mention is the one who started it all, and that’s Lenalee.”

Allen’s blood runs cold. He keeps his body perfectly relaxed while the gears turn in his head, thinking, calculating, evaluating.

Allen wanted badly to ask about Lenalee. For Komui’s sake, if nothing else. For the stories of the little girl who always refused to put on her shoes, who ate Komui’s stew and declared it delicious even when Komui had nearly burnt the house down in the process of making it, who stubbornly refused to cut her hair until the boys at school started pulling it, causing her to get it cut in a short bob cut just to spite them.

Allen wants so very badly to ask about her, but he can’t. Because then Lavi might want to know why. Allen can almost hear his reply to Allen’s query, “Why are you asking? Do you know her from somewhere?” Saying no would be suspicious, and telling the truth could bring disaster. He has no idea how well Lavi can keep a secret, not when they’ve just met, and besides, what were the odds?

What were the odds of the two Demoniares being here for the testing just happening to know Lenalee? Cogs within cogs, wheels within wheels. Allen can almost taste the plot hanging thick in the air. Komui finds out, however incidentally, that these two know Lenalee, and he makes a misstep, makes a mistake, acts rashly or without thinking and gives Leverrier that  _ one reason _ he needs, and… 

It all comes crashing down.

For him, and for Allen.

“Hey, you okay? You’ve been quiet for awhile.” Lavi asks, tilting his head to look at him.

Allen smiles ruefully. “It’s nothing.” 

Lavi makes makes a disappointed noise, his green eyes curious. “C’mon, what is it? You can tell me!”

Allen laughs a little. “It was nothing, really. I was wondering… just how exclusive is your club?”

Lavi grins with a laugh of his own. “Why, looking to join up?”

Allen shrugs with a smile. “If it’s not too much trouble,” he says, feeling strangely reluctant.

Lavi looks considering for a moment. “I’ll have to ask everybody else first, but they should be fine with it.” His face brightens. “Hey Yuu!  _ Hey-!” _ The air shimmers before them like a mirage before a hand materializes out of thin air, clamping its fingers over Lavi’s mouth as the rest of Kanda’s body scintillates into being next to them.

Kanda scowls at them both.“I’m right here, you don’t need to yell.” Then Kanda makes a face and removes his hand from Lavi’s mouth, wiping it thoroughly through Lavi’s hair.

“Kanda, no! Not the hair!” Lavi cries dramatically.

“It’s  _ your _ spit.” Kanda informs him smugly.

Allen would think this was funny if he wasn’t still a little bit gobsmacked by, well. “Excuse me, did you just appear out of thin air?”

Kanda and Lavi both pause in their argument and turn to him. Lavi grins. “Oh, that’s right! You’ve never seen another Host’s powers before, have you?”

“I’ve seen some,” Allen defends.

There was this one Demoniare who could produce unholy amounts of blood from his body and create weapons from it. He has come back, again and again, to beat Allen into the dirt. It occurs at least twice a month, by Allen’s estimate.

“But you’ve never had them shown to you.” Lavi presses. He looks at Kanda and pats the cot next to him, and Kanda goes and slumps into the one next to Allen just to be contrary.

Lavi pouts at him, and Kanda scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“Powers are powers. Why does it matter if he hasn’t seen them before?” Kanda scoffs.

Lavi’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Because they’re-” he gestures expansively, “you know!” He says, obviously seeing this as a perfect explanation. 

Allen himself sort of understood, but he didn’t get why it was such a big deal.

“You wanted me for something?” Kanda prompts impatiently, and Allen realizes the conversation had gotten rather off-track. Funny how eager he was to keep it that way.

Lavi perks up, though. “Oh, right. Do you have any more of those spooky letters? The beansprout’s thinking about joining up and I wanna ask Alma and Lena what they think.”

Kanda scowls. “I’m not a fucking delivery boy,” he grumbles, but nevertheless produces a large notepad and three biros out of thin air.

Allen lifts an eyebrow. “What are those for?”

Lavi grins. “It’s what we’re going to be contacting the others with.”

Allen nods. “Then you’d better get up here then. I’m not set to move for another two to three hours.”

“Dude, there isn’t even a clock in here.” Lavi says with a half laugh. Allen just shrugs. It’s not like he could tell him that Allen practically  _ was _ his own personal clock. That he could always tell the time of day without looking at a clock and that it was rare if impossible for a real clock to be as accurate as he was. It was strange, and not something Allen liked to dwell on.

_ 2:26.05, 2:26.06, 2:26.07, 2:26.08…  _

Allen scowls, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Hey. Move over.” Kanda says gruffly from his left, and Allen takes a deep breath and slowly folds his wings to his back, Kanda and Lavi clambering up from either side of the bed to lay next to him, pulling the scratchy thin covers over themselves. It’s a tight fit, with each of them folding their wings in so as not to disturb the other, but the bed soon warms from each of their body heat which is a welcome relief from the cold temperature of the room.

Setting the notepad down at the head of the bed, Lavi writes a quick greeting in a swirling script, two letters that were almost like initials written out automatically before his words.

_ LA: hey you guys! guess who it is! _

There’s a three minute pause where nothing happens, and then Lavi’s words sink into the paper, only for words that are neat and curly to slowly write themselves out onto the notepad.

_ LE: it’s three in the morning, you two! don’t you have anything better to do other than bother me? ಠ_ಠ _

_ LA: nope! _ Lavi writes with a grin.

_ LE: ಠ ೧ ಠ _

Kanda puts his pen to paper with a scowl, his handwriting sharp and slanted.

_ KA: get to the point already, stupid rabbit! _

_ LA: right, right. _

Allen, who has been eyeing the enchanted paper dubiously up until this point, gives it an experimental poke.

_ ALLE:  _ **_•_ **

_ LE: ? who’s that? _

_ KA: it’s just the beansprout _

_ LA: this is Allen a.k.a the beansprout  _

_ ALLE: the NAME is ALLEN! ┻┻︵ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ︵┻┻ _

_ LE: let me get Alma up, I think I can see where this is going _

Ten minutes later, a new hand scrawls a hesitant greeting in bubble shaped handwriting.

_ ALM: hello? Lenalee said there was a new person with you? _

Lavi and Kanda both look at him expectantly, waiting for him to respond. Feeling pressured, Allen writes,  _ ALLE: hello, my name’s Allen Walker.  _ His handwriting is a horrible sprawling chicken scratch, no matter which hand he uses or how carefully he writes the words. 

_ ALM: oh! (・o・) hi, I’m Alma! (◕ᴗ◕✿) _

_ LE: and I’m Lenalee! ^^ _

_ ALLE: it’s nice to meet you both ｡◕‿◕｡ _

_ LE: so you guys want to bring him into the fold?  _

_ LA: that’s the heart of it, yeah.  _

_ LE: why? _

Allen glances over. He’s been wondering that as well.

_ LA: it’s just… Al’s a great guy and he could really use some friends right now.  _

_ LE: Kanda? _

_ KA: seconded. _

_ LE: Alma? _

_ ALM: I don’t see a problem with it. _

_ LE: okay then, go ahead. _

_ LE: I hope we can meet you in person soon, Allen. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DONT CARE WHAT YOU SAY, SPELLCHECK, THE WORDS BOBCUT AND BEDSPRING ARE TOTALLY REAL WORDS!
> 
> …
> 
> one minute later
> 
> OKaY I GIVe iN, YoU’Ve WON ME OVER
> 
> Also shoutout to my everyone who kudos’d, y’all are awesome!
> 
> I really wish someone would comment, but eh whatever I’m not gonna twist your arm about it.
> 
> *totally twists your arm about it*
> 
> Ahem.
> 
> Also I noticed Allen wasn’t quite IC in the first couple chapters bc of the Harry Potter crossover I was writing previously *grumbles* and apparently I gotta actually write the character modifications down instead of in my head every. single. fucking. time. because I just had to train my brain that way for a whole year and a half in order for it to understand characterizations in the first place. Seriously, just writing and rewriting character traits down every day for a year and a half while my brain kept screaming DOES NOT COMPUTE! until one day it just sort of… clicked. So, to anyone who doesn’t immediately understand characters at the snap of your fingers, you have my undying empathy. But if you try hard enough and are determined enough, you do get better at it over time. ^^
> 
> 'Cuz trust me, my early works were… not so great.
> 
> But you live, you learn.
> 
> Anyway, I’ve edited chapter two so dialogue on Allen’s part is more IC, but bc it’s in his POV his thoughts might be a little off. Hopefully can get to chapter one at some point.
> 
> Also changed the spelling of "Demonaire" to "Demoniare" because I think that was my original spelling and realized that the reason the term ‘Angelica’ wasn’t being spellchecked was that it was literally a person's _name._ God, I am such a doof. Thinking of changing it to Angelicai/Angellikai so that it won’t be as confusing? (And the name would also count as the plural, jic you were wondering).
> 
> And yes, it's patently obvious that Kamoji weren't around in the 19th century. Just imagine they're drawing them, bc honestly with how historically inaccurate the DGM world is I couldn't gaf.
> 
> Also: (Lavi: "Was there a reason you were lurking invisibly by my bed, Yuu-chan~?"
> 
> Kanda: "SHUT UP, YOU WERE BEING TOO LOUD!")
> 
> Also Kanda: *wants to come to the sleepover but is too tsundere to admit it*
> 
> Alright, see y’all next chap!

**Author's Note:**

> Komui and Allen Bonding™ must be established before all else.
> 
> Next chapter: Leverrier! Link! Lavi! Kanda! An inkling of a plot finally makes itself known!
> 
> ...this is probably going to be a bit more than a three-shot.
> 
> See y'all next chap! ^^
> 
> Edit: I decided to change where the records refered to Komui as "Scientist Komui Lee" to "Dr. Komui Lee" because Komui so deserves a PhD for this shit.


End file.
